Comparison of Various Techniques for Computing Well Index
Abstract/Contents
- Abstract
- The Well Index (WI) plays a key role in reservoir simulation as it defines the relationship between well pressure and flow rate to reservoir properties and pressure. Currently, there are many models for computing well indices based on different assumptions and well configurations. A clear and complete understanding of these models and restrictions is essential as the application of miscalculated well indices lead to erroneous results rendering the simulation model ineffective as a prediction tool. This work presents a comparison between three different methods for computing well indices: Peaceman's model, the Projection method and a Semi-Analytical approach. This evaluation compares numerical simulation results using WI computed by each method with a semi-analytical reference solution. The well and reservoir models presented in this work include horizontal and vertical wells, 2D and 3D slanted wells, isolated wells and wells near boundaries or other wells. The models are all homogeneous (isotropic and anisotropic) reservoirs with uniform Cartesian grids. All simulations were done with single-phase flow and have closed (no flow) boundary conditions. For each of these models, the values of the well indices computed by each method were compared. The influence of permeability, grid size, spherical flow, interference and boundary effects was studied. Peaceman's WI led to significant errors for all slanted wells and this was also true where spherical flow or interference of other wells and boundaries is dominant. The Projection method, a practical correction to Peaceman's model for deviated wells, provides a reasonable approximation for slanted wells. However, it also leads to significant errors when spherical flow, interference and boundary effects are present. The Semi-Analytical approach computes exact well indices for any type of well in any scenario and their use in simulators exactly reproduce the semi-analytical reference solution.
Description
| Type of resource | text |
|---|---|
| Date created | August 2005 |
Creators/Contributors
| Author | Shu, Jones |
|---|---|
| Primary advisor | Aziz, Khalid |
| Degree granting institution | Stanford University, Department of Petroleum Engineering |
Subjects
| Subject | School of Earth Energy & Environmental Sciences |
|---|---|
| Genre | Thesis |
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Preferred citation
- Preferred Citation
- Shu, Jones. (2005). Comparison of Various Techniques for Computing Well Index. Stanford Digital Repository. Available at: https://purl.stanford.edu/xk906gg6034
Collection
Master's Theses, Doerr School of Sustainability
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